Toothpicks are supposed to come out clean with brownies with no raw batter, although the toothpick should also come out with moist crumbs.
If the toothpick comes out with raw batter then they are not done.
If you stick a toothpick into the middle of the brownies and it comes out with moist crumbs and not with raw batter then they are done perfectly.
Brownies are supposed to be slightly gooey in the middle when done.
Properly baked brownies should be fudgy, moist and slightly gooey in the center instead fully dry and the brownies when baked properly and done should have set edge and have a slightly wobbly center which firms up when they are cooling.
If you stick a toothpick into the middle of the brownies and it comes out with moist crumbs and not with raw batter then they are done perfectly.
Fudgy brownies also use more fat/chocolate and less flour and often also rely on melted chocolate and cocoa powder, and cakey brownies use less fat and sometimes leavening agents.
Fudgy brownies are ready when the center of the brownies still have a slight jiggle.
And while brownies are supposed to be gooey, the brownies are also not meant to be raw, and so they must reach an internal temperature of at least 160 F to be safe to eat.
If your brownies are liquid in the middle after they cool, then they might be underbaked, which can also be fixed by placing the brownies back in the oven.
Common brownie baking mistakes are overmixing the batter, using cold eggs, cutting the brownies before they cool completely and even overbaking the brownies.
Overbaking the brownies is the most common mistake when baking brownies, which leads to dry, cakey textures for the brownies instead of fudgy textures that brownies should have.
When baking brownies, the brownies should be removed from the oven when a toothpick comes out of the brownies with a few moist crumbs and not completely clean as the brownies also continue to cook while they are cooling.
If the toothpick comes out completely clean then they should be baked more until the toothpick comes out of the brownies with a few moist crumbs.
Overmixing the brownie batter develops the gluten in the brownie batter, which results in a cake like or tough texture, instead of the dense and fudgy texture that brownies should have.
Using cold butter or cold eggs in brownie mix is also a common mistake when baking brownies as the ingredients including the eggs and butter should be at room temperature to properly emulsify the ingredients, otherwise it can result in a broken or uneven brownie batter.
And cutting brownies too soon while warm also ruins the texture of the brownies and causes the brownies to crumble.
So before cutting the brownies, the brownies should be cooled completely to ensure clean fudgy square brownies.
Other common mistakes when baking brownies are using the wrong size baking pan, using low quality chocolate, not lining the baking pan and even not measuring the flour properly.
Not measuring the flour properly and scooping the flour directly into the bowl with a measuring cup also packs the flour down and adds too much flour that makes your brownies dry.
When measuring flour for the brownies you should use a scale or the spoon and level method.
And forgetting to use parchment paper or failing to grease the baking pan properly causes sticking of the brownies, which makes it impossible to remove the brownies cleanly and easily.
Using a baking pan that is too large or too small also alters the baking times and thickness of the brownies and so an 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch straight sided metal baking pan is often recommended for baking brownies.
And because the chocolate is the primary flavor in brownies, using low quality chocolate or cocoa powder results in a taste that is lackluster or not as great.